Boiler cleaner



June 24, 1930- N. L. SNOW 5 5 BOILER CLEANER Filed Feb. 26, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l lwcnrox MrrnanZ'nauJ June- 24, 1930.

N, L. SNOW 1,766,958

BCSILER CLEANER Filed Feb. 26, 1923 3' Sheets-Shee t 2 June 24, 1930. L, N 1,766,958

BOII-JER CLEANER I Filed Feb. 26, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ea: E/U

Patented June 24, 193() UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE NORMAN L. SNOW, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DIAMOND POWER SPECIALTY CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN I BOILER CLEANER Application filed. February 26, 1923. SerialNo. 621,433.

This invention relates to boilercleaners and particularly to boiler cleaners utilizing steam or the like as a cleansing fluid.

The invention consists in extending the V steam supply pipe to a series ofblower units 111 such a manner as to insure a thorough heating and drying of the portion of said pipe inuse, preliminary to opening the valve controlling any of the individual units.

A further feature is a provision for autoair to a blower unit upon closing of the valve controlling the supply of steam to such unit whereby the partial vacuum arising from condensation of the steam remaining in the unit when the valve is closed will be relieved by clean air from outside the boiler rather than by the gases within the boiler. This will prevent the deterioration of the blower 2o pipes that tends to result from admission thereto of such gases.

In the drawings Figure, 1 is a view in sectional elevation of a boiler equipped with a series of blower units to which steam is supplied in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of an automatic steam control valve for one of said units showing also an automatically con- 3o trolled air inlet;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Figure 2; c

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view illus trating an alternative means for automati--.

A, B, C, D, and E designate a series of rotative blower units arranged in suitable'locations and at var ous elevations within a boiler. F s a. main valve controlling the steam supply to said units through a vertical pipe G downwardly extended from said valve to a point below the lowermost of said blower units. H, I, J and K designate successive portions of a steam pipe leading from the lower end of the pipe Grand extending successively adjacent the units D, C, B and A From the end portion K of said pipe. the drain pipe L is extended downwardly and a discharge connection M isextended from the lower end thereof to any suitable point. N is a drain pipe communicating with the lower end of the pipe'G and dis charging into the lower portion of-the drain pipe L. G is a branch supply pipe leading to the-unit E from the pipe G, and H, I, J and K are branch supply pipes leading re spectively to the units 1), G, B and A from the pipe portions H, I, J and K, of the supply pipe. v

Considering the operation of the invention as so far described, it is to be noted first that the pipe portions H, I, J, K are extended into close proximity to the blower units A, B, C and D so that the length of the branch pipes H I, J and K leading to said units is quite short. The importance of minimizing the length of the branch pipes lies in the fact that upon opening of the supply valve to any unit, the steam admitted thereto is required toinitially heat the branch pipe and the condensation of steam occurring during such heating is minimized by making the branches as short as possible.

It is preferred tooperate said units in the succession A, B, C, .D and E thus securing the advantage that the soot dislodged by the action of any unit will not discharge upon the area previously cleaned by another unit. Blowing the units in the specified succession also presents the advantage that the entire length of the pipe portions H, I,'J andK is initially thoroughly heated by delivery of steam to the unit Aso that the subsequent operation of the rest of the other units will not result in anycondensation in said pipe. As is well understood condensation is undesirable because of the detrimental action on the blower pipes and boiler tubes of the condensed particles of water entrained by the steam.

There will now be described a provision for automatically admitting air exteriorly of the boiler to each unit as the steam supply valve thereof is closed. Thus (referring to Figures 2 and 3) O is a valve in a casing O controlling the steam supply to the unit, said valve having the upwardly extended stem U. P is a trigger member pivoted at P and terminally bearing upon the stem 0 for opening the valve. Said trigger is automatically operable by a cam Q, secured to the side of a gear (.Z fast upon the blower pipe Q Said gear is adapted to be driven through a pinion f from a chain wheel Q It is a fitting attached to the casing of the valve 0 and provided with an air inlet R. S is a valve controlling said air inlet and provided with an upwardly extended-stem S which above said fitting is provided with spaced upper and lower collars S and S the former fast and the latter loose upon said stem.. Between said collars there is disposed a coiled spring S S designates a pair of links connecting the sliding collar S to an extension S upon the pivotal end of the trigger P.

In the operation of the described automatic mechanism the cam Q, acts during rotation of the blower pipe Q upon the valve 0 to open the same during a predetermined portion of each revolution. During the initial valve-opening movement of the trigger P the valve S is acted upon through the links S to close the air inlet R. Thus during the period of steam delivery to the unit controlled by the described mechanism the air inlet will be closed preventing escape of steam therethrough. After closing of the valve S has occurred, the subsequent movement of the trigger P necessaryto complete opening of the steam valveO is permitted without hindrance from the valve S due to the lost mot-ion connection of the latter valve to the trigger. That is to say, the sliding collar S will simply be raised upon the stem S subsequent to closing of the valve S, the spring S being at the same time compressed. When the triggeris returned to its normal position shown in full lines in Figure 2, the spring S will return the sliding collar S to its normal lowered position during initial return movement of the trigger and finally the valve S will be unseated so that air will be admitted to the blower pipe as condensation of the steam remaining in said pipe occurs subsequent to closing of the steam valve 0.

In the alternative form of the automatic air inlet control shown in Figures t and 5, T designates the stem of the steam supply valve and T a spring acting upon said stem to urge the steam valve to its seat. Said stem formed with an air passage 2 having a vent opening T to the casing T of the steam valve. T designates a plunger fitting in the upper end of the stem T and provided above said stem with an enlarged head T for engagement by the trigger T Between said head and that extremity of the spring T which is anchored to the stem T there is compressed a coiled spring T which urges the plunger T upwardly but with a force much less than that exerted by the spring T. The plunger T is formed with a plurality of longitudinal passages U which when no down pressure is exerted'upon the trigger T are open to the atmosphere, as indicated at U.

In the operation of the described mechanism, when the trigger T is actuated, as for example by such a cam as is shown in Figure .2, the first effect will be a depression of the plunger T since the spring uplifting said plunger is relatively weak as compared to the spring T. The air inlet opening U will be closed by this downward shifting of the plunger and further actuation of the trigger T will lower the stem T to unseat the steam valve. After blowing of the unit controlled by said valve has been completed, downward pressure exerted by the trigger T will be relieved. This will first result in closing of the steam valve and in a subsequent raising of the plunger T whereby air will be admitted to the blower unit to relieve the vacuum effect resulting from condensation.

Describing now the form of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 7, U designates the valve controlling the steam supply to a blower unit and U a spring acting upon the stem U*-'of said valve to normally close the same. U is a slide bearing in the casing U of the valve U through which bearing the stem U passes, and U designates a series of longitudinal air intake passages formed in the surface of said stem within said bearing, said passages being so located that when the valve U is closed communication will be es tablished through said passages between the atmosphere and the portion of the valve casing in open communication with the blower unit. The initial downward movement of the stem U however, will shift the vent passages U below the top of the bearing U so that the air inlets will be closed when steam is being delivered to the unit. 7

Itis to be noted that each of the several described mechanisms for admitting air to a blower unit upon closing of the steam supply valve for said unit possesses in common the feature of automatically shifting the steam supply valve and the air inlet control element in'the desired timed relation through a common controlling element.

A considerable prolongation of the useful life of a steam boiler blower results from the automatic admission of air to the unit upon closing ofthe steam supply valve andthus preventing entry into the unit of deleterious gases and also of the soot particles carried in suspension by said gaseswhich particles will tend to eventually clog the nozzles.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a blower unit, of a valve cont-rolling the steam supply to said unit, the casing of said valve having an air inlet for admitting air to said unit upon closing of the steam valve for relief of the vacuum effect arising from con densation, and a common automatic means controlling said valve and inlet.

2. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a blower unit, of a valve controlling the steam supply to said unit, the stem for said valve having a passage providing an air inlet for admitting air to said unit upon clos ing of the steam valve for relief of the vac-.

uum effect arising from condensation, and

means automatically closing said passage during the opening movement of said stem.

3. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a blower unit including a blower pipe and a valve controlling the steam supply to said pipe, of a common means to move said pipe and actuate said valve, means to admit air. to said unit upon closing of said supply valve, said common means also acting to actuate said second-named means.

4. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a blower unit and a valve for controlling the steam supply to said unit, of means operable to admit air to said blower unit mechanically connected to said valve and operated. in common therewith, said means being adapted, by virtue of said mechanical connection, to admit air to said unit only upon complete closing of said steam valve for relief of the vacuum effect arising from condensation.

5. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a blower unit and a valve structure for controlling the steam supply to said unit, said structure comprising a member movable to and from a seat, of means operable to admit air to said blower unit connected to and movable with said member, said means being adapted to admit air to said unit only when said member is in contact with its seat.

6. The combination with a boiler cleaner including a blower element, a valve controlling the supply of cleaning fluid to said element, a vent for admitting air to said element, and a valve for said vent, of means for actuating said valves, said means being operable to fully close one of the said valves in advance of the opening of the other of the said valves.

7. The combination with a boiler cleaner including a blower element, a valve for con trolling the supply of cleaning fluid to said element, a vent for admitting air to said element, and a valvefor said vent, of a common means for actuating both of said valves, said means being operable to eflect a complete closing of each valve prior to the opening of the other valve.

8. The combination with a boiler cleaner including a blower element, a valve control- 

